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Impiltur (Country)
One of the few remaining territories free from the tyranny of the Grey Lady, Impiltur stands as a proud, defiant symbol of resistance, perserverance and courage. A nation of patriot soldiers loyal to the fallen kingdom of Rikea, Impiltur is small but remains a potent militatry power in Athas' Interior region. History Impiltur was not always a country and, had the Grey Lady never taken hold in Rikea, it would have happily remained a backwater territory of the Rikean Kingdom that stoog guard over a vital mountain pass. To truly understand modern-day Impiltur, however, one must understand the history of the region as a whole. Varas Impiltur began life as the Arthedainian territory know as Varas. Varas was a rough territory filled with swift-moving rivers, tall, rugged mountains and deep lakes filled with dangerous creatures. However, it was an important region due to the small group of strategic mountains. Enemies could easily conceal themselves there (and often did) and in years past, many raids on both Elf and Human colonies were launched from this small realm of rocky valleys. So, the Empire moved in, established a castle known as "Castle Varaselle" overlooking The Reach and drove the various Hill Tribes and Orc Tribes from the region, into the north or pushing them toward the East. While strategic from a military standpoint, Varas was relatively sparse with little to no civilians actually living there for many years. When Arthedain fell, so too did Varas. The region was abandoned and Castle Varaselle fell into ruin and occupation by the various groups of orcs or goblins or bandits who moved back into the region over the following decades. Reign of the Opal King In the autumn of 1834 CR, the mountains and valleys of the The Reach were occupied by the forces of a Stone Giant warlord who called himself the Opal King. Commanding a formiddable army of bandits, goblinoids, orcs and ogres he subjucated into his service, the Opal King was also a sort of druid, commanding the forces of nature. For years, the Opal King proved to be a dangerous foe. During the summer of 1837 CR, the local Spiran government banded together with a circle of druids and mercenary companies, riding into the Opal Kingdom (as it was then called) and began an ultimately failed attempt to de-throne the Opal King in what was known as the First Opal Crusade. Something that was noticed was that the realm was absolutely perfect for defense and, with luck and the giant's powerful nature magic, the coup was eventually stomped out. That same winter, in early 1838 CR, the Opal King launched an invasion of several local castles. Only one was ultimately captured and held for longer than a month. Even then, the remaining fort was cleared out by mid-spring of that year. The Second Opal Crusade was launched in late spring of 1841 CR, after the Giant took responsibility for the murder of an entire caravan of merchants and the destruction of a good-sized trading post. The druidic circle refused to assist this new venture, but Commander Delson Thomason, the officer in chare of this invasion, hired two bands of adventures. The Crusade itself would serve as a distraction while the adventurers took out the Opal King himself. It was very risky but it proved successful: on 12 Fharas, 1841 CR, the Opal King was slain in his throne room in Castle Varaselle. The remainder of his army either surrendered or were driven away by winter. Absoprtion by Spira Castle Varaselle was torn down, stone by stone and replaced by Castle Altera, where the Commander took up residence in the newly acquired Emperial territory, known then as Andor. For the next few centuries, Andor remainded quiet and sparsely populated; it served only to act as a defensive position for the region. When Rikea declared independence from Spira, the territory of Andor allied itself with the rebels. Andor served as a key military position throughout the war, housing many supplies and serving as the launching point of several important military operations. Castle Altera was besieged during the war but survived the battle due to a combination of weather, excellent fortification and the natural terrain. Plus, you can't underestimate passionate soldiers fighting on their home turf. When Rikea was granted independence on 25 Boccas, 2356 CR, Andor became an important region and a few small towns were founded there, in an attempt to cultivate the region beyond a simple military checkpoint. Rikean Territory Impiltur served its purpose well, though the region remained sparsely populated despite the presence of the small towns. Several more forts and castles were erected over the following decades and centuries, most of them made to serve various military commanders stationed there, although Castle Altera remained the best fortified castle in the region, enough so that a small town cropped up around it for protection in 2375 CR. Altera began to flourish, becoming the largest town town and the economic center of the region. Andor was a staunch ally of House Grey in the Deep, and soldiers from the Andor & the Deep constantly rode into battle with one another. Andor was, in fact, one of the major military powers that served to keep Kellid and Orc attacks from the north at bay. In Gruumas of 2499 CR, a coalition of dark druids attacked Andor and the surrounding region in an attempt to claim it for their dark cult. Thousands of refugees fled to the various castles and villages around Andor, where the druids found it remarkably more difficult to take than they had imagined; given the terrain, even the smaller villages were well fortified and easily defended. This marked the first time the region was used to shelter and protect refugees, something that would be very important later on. Though the druid attacks continued for the next nine years, Andor remained relatively unscathed by the attacks, until the Inner Circle of the cult were finally killed in Osprey Glenn by a group of adventurers on 12 Pelas 2508. Andor was the center of an attack by a red dragon in Yondas, 2566 CR. As it happens, it had been lairing in a mountain in the Andor region for several centuries and was awoken by a minin operation, slaughtering the miners, destroying the mine and setting the mine itself ablaze. It was on a bloody, flaming rampage, causing serious damage to several important forts, burning down two castles, killing hundreds and eventually even setting Castle Altera ablaze. The creature nested in the ruins of Altera for another three years, when a group of adventurers brought the Dragon down. Altera was briefly contested with a band of goblinoids but Rikea reclaimed the ruins by Cuthas of 2570 CR. In 2576, a new castle was built on the ruins and was christened Castle Andor. The Grey Lady When the Grey Lady and her army invaded Rikea from the southeast in 2602 CR, Andor reguarly sent garrisons and supplies to the front lines. The Grey Company itself invaded Andor multiple times during the century of warfare that the Grey Lady brought with her. Forts fell and were reclaimed; foes dug in and were rooted out. Andor was not the bloodiest theater of battle, but as the region needed to focus on defending itself, other regions were left without certain vital supplies or reinforcements that Andor would usually supply. So, though Andor itself never fell, it was unable to assist for much of the later years of the war, a fact that cost Rikea dearly. One by one, major cities fell and nobility knelt to the Grey Lady. A shadow fell over the once powerful nation. Thousands of displaced refugees fled the great cities and Andor opened their gates to them. The great decline continued rapidly until, at last, the Blue Throne fell in Erythas of 4682. The Grey Lady took the palace and the city over and Rikea, as a nation, was no more. A New Nation Rikea had fallen. Chaos began to envelope the vast Rikean countryside. As more refugees fled to Andoran--one of the few regions to never fall or bend the knee to the Grey Lady--the various military commanders declared themselves not only non-compliant with the Grey Lady's rule, but they openly defied her, declared open warfare against her and annnounced that anybody who agreed with them were welcome in their house. After some discussion, on 4 Heira, 2683, the region then secceeded from the Rikean charter and declared itself an independent state, naming itself "Impiltur", which means "Strength" with old Imperial. Impiltur changed the names of its castles and cities, as well, to reflect their independence from the Grey Lady and to communicate the ideals they strive for: Andor City became Vigil; Tawren became Hope; Kortallis became Bastion; Fort St. Jerome became Haven, and so on. Recent History Impiltur has remained a steadfast enemy of the Grey Lady, providing shelter and supplies for all who oppose her. Despite being a small realm, the cities are very densely packed and warfare and various campaigns around Rikea are very common. The Rangers of Rikea count Impiltur as allies. Impiltur served as allies to Hlondeth, as well, until its own absorption into the Grey Domninion. Geography Impiltur is a small nation that exists primarily in a mountain valley with a series of waterfalls and rivers jutting through it. There are few areas of flatland in Impiltur; it's said no matter where you walk in Impiltur, you're going uphill. Farmers have adapted to this by using either planters for smaller crops or tiered, stepped fields in which to grow crops. Sheep and goats continuously roam the hillside. The number of sheep in Impiltur is said to be ten for every citizen. Despite the number of rivers, lakes and waterfalls, Impiltur does not have a navy nor do they participate in water-trade. The reasons for this are simple: with few exceptions, the rivers in Impiltur are little more than ankle-deep creeks at best. However, the sound of running water of some kind can often be heard from nearly anywhere in Impiltur, at any time. The Shield Mountains are the most notable feature of Impiltur. A small, minor chain, the Shield Mountains are upon which the majority of the cities are built. These mountains are rough and steep and cold, making them extremely difficult to traverse, let alone lead an army through. Deep cave systems, canyons and ravines dot the countryside and sinkholes are not uncommon. A series of bonfires, towers and beacons are set up around the mountains. Each is within eyesight of another. The mountains being so rugged and rough, it takes more time to travel from one side of the country to the other than it might seem. Thus, the Beacon system was implimented to send word for aid or warning of danger across vast distances in a short time. The most famous landmark in Impiltur is known as The Reach: a valley at the confluence of several rivers, leading to a large lake. A mountain plateau juts out into the lake, where castle and village of Vigil lie. The fields of The Reach are the site for many famous for many battles. Notable Settlements '--Vigil:' Pop. 70,102; capitol city, located in The Reach. '--Hope:' Pop. 32,050; northernmost city in Impiltur. '--Haven:' Pop. 50,710; easternmost city in Impiltur and common site of attacks. Bustling trade city. '--Bastion:' Pop. 26, 331 '--Summons:' Pop. 7,683; location of a large church to Heironeous and site of political meetings. '--Bulwark: '''Pop. 12, 148 '--Steadfast:''' Pop. 600 Government The government of Impiltur is a Stratocracy; a form of government headed by military chiefs. It is not a military dictatorship, in which the military can act with impunity regardless of the letter of the law. Instead, the military law and constitution are the same entity, and the military's power is supported by law, the constitution and the society. It's current leader is Grand General Jaeson Heston. Noble Houses There are no noble houses in Impiltur. Certain regiments and military units have more prestige and sway than others, but there is no real nobility. Insted, it acts as more of a meritocracy: the social standing of an individual is primarly graded by their deeds, not their blood or name. Laws --All able-bodied citizens (male or female, of any race) must serve at least two years with the military. All able-bodied citizens are also all trained in at least rudimentary weapons use and are required to serve in the town militia. -- Magic Arcana magic, while legal in old Rikea, has been outlawed in Impiltur, due to the excessive danger that unregulated magic presents. Licenses can be obtained, but only at great expense and difficulty, and only by those within the Impiltur military (not the militia). Divine magic is permitted, granted the user has been sanctified by a church and has documentation to prove it. This means that primarily Clerics and Paladins of any religion can perform divine magic, but Rangers and Druids cannot unless they become sanctified by a religious organization. Trade Like most countries, Impiltur uses the Gold Coin Standard. These are heavy, gold coins, silver coins and small copper coins. These coins bear the visage of a different animal on each coin (See below). While coins from the old Arthedain Empire--as well as coins used by the old baronies--are worth money, they cannot be legally used as currency in any Impiltur settlement. --Copper pieces are officially called Falcons, but are more commonly known as Bits or Thumbs, and bear the picture of a Falcon --Silver pieces are officially known as Stags, but are more commonly known as Bucks, and bear the picture of a Stag --Gold pieces are officially known as Lions and unsurprisingly bear the picture of a Lion --Platinum pieces, while exceedingly rare, are still accepted as official currency and are known as Dragons, but more commonly as Drakes, and bear the picture of a dragon. These names are somewhat regional, so they are referred to as one of the above names depending on the city or settlement. However, simply saying "a copper" or "a few gold" is also common and universally understood by the populace. It is common for travelers, foreigners and adventurers to use this vernacular to avoid regional confusion. Society Impiltur is quiet, militaristic, stoic and more often than not, humorless. They eke out a living from the rock and the mountains, so humor and free time are not something the Impiltur have a lot of. They shun luxury, living somewhat simple, spartan existences. The people of Impiltur are also very giving people, often lending whatever they can to those in need in their community and military aid to any who need it. People The people of Impiltur are mostly Imperial, Kellid, Njord and Hlondic but representatives of nearly any human enthinicity can be found here.